1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automated fryer as claimed in the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for operating an automated fryer as claimed in the preamble of claim 16.
2. Prior Art
WO 2004/014206 discloses a frying device that includes a storage container and a cooking drum, which is connected to the storage container by means of a transportation pipe, a rotatable agitator being located in said cooking drum. When the machine is operating, food, e.g. frozen chips, is transported from the storage container into the cooking drum that contains liquefied cooking fat, where, by means of the slowly rotating agitator, it is transported into a removal drum that has a discharging conveyor chute. At the same time the rotational speed of the agitator is selected such that the food is cooked through during the dwell time in the cooking drum.
In the case of the frying device in WO 2004/014206, the storage container for the food is located above the cooking drum. The advantage of this is that the food can be moved into the cooking drum by means of gravity. A disadvantage of said arrangement, however, is that rising, hot water vapor is able to pass into the cooled storage container where it immediately turns to ice again in the temperatures prevailing there. This can result in the food sticking to the cold walls of the storage container, of its outlet opening and/or of the transportation pipe and the transportation being interrupted.